Aberdeen H2 transport project is shortlisted for national award12 April 2016

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The team behind Aberdeen’s Hydrogen Bus Project – in which BOC, the UK’s largest supplier of industrial gases, is a key partner - has been shortlisted for a prestigious Scottish Transport Award.

BOC, Aberdeen City Council and the other partner organisations in the project team are on the shortlist for Transport Team/Partnership of the Year award. Supported by the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, the Scottish Transport Awards recognise the contribution by professionals in improving and enhancing Scotland's transport networks.

The team brought together a range of funders and partners from the private and public sectors throughout the UK and Europe to deliver Europe’s largest hydrogen bus fleet and the UK’s largest hydrogen production and bus refuelling station in Aberdeen. The hydrogen production and refuelling station, which is owned and operated by BOC, a member of The Linde Group, has provided 99.99% availability of the station and has refuelled the vehicles more than 1,600 times.

Dr Hamish Nichol, Innovation Manager for Hydrogen, BOC, said: “BOC is proud to be a key player in the Aberdeen Bus Project. This successful public-private partnership project provides a clear demonstration of the viability of hydrogen as a reliable, carbon-free zero emission fuel.”

Aberdeen City Council’s lead member for hydrogen, Councillor Barney Crockett, said: “We are very proud to have been shortlisted for this award – it highlighted that the cohesion we have established with all of our partners has led to many successes.”

In 2013, Aberdeen City Council launched the 2020 strategy framework ‘A hydrogen Economy for Aberdeen City Region’, to realise the vision to be a world class energy hub leading a low carbon economy. In that time, Aberdeen has become a leading Hydrogen city and attracted £21million in investment. With 10 hydrogen fuel cell buses in operation, Aberdeen City has the largest fleet in Europe and BOC’s hydrogen production and refuelling station is the biggest of its type in the UK.

The result is a success story which has seen the green fleet travel the equivalent distance of 10 times around the world, reducing carbon emissions in the city and introducing the travelling public to a new, environmentally friendly form of public transport. The H2 buses produce no harmful emissions – the only output is water vapour – and it is estimated that over the four years of the project lifetime the buses will save over 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The Van Hool vehicles have carried more than 440,000 passengers on the First X40 Bridge of Don to Kingswells Park and Ride and Stagecoach X17 Guild Street to Westhill Park and Ride route, as well as putting in appearances at a number of high-profile transnational events in the city. That’s an average of 36,700 passengers each month.

The winners will be announced at the Scottish Transport Awards on the evening of 16th June 2016 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow.